No 22 Lyle March 8
 1863 Iron Mountain Mo March 8th /63 
My Dear Wife: 
I have received your dear letter, so full of tender, wife-like love & affection.  No 26 Feb 24 - 28th.  My health is first rate, indeed I am growing somewhat fleshy, yesterday I weighed 157 lbs, so you may know that I am doing verry well since we came in from our severe winter campaign.  Yesterday I was reading Gen Sigle's speech at N.Y. when I came to that portion of where he speaks of the duties of the lonely picket, & his duties, how he counts the minits as they pass.  I could not help sheding tears.  I brought afresh in my mind the Picket scenes of last winter.  I have often heard soldiers talk of Picket but I did not understand the real meaning of the word.  Now I can for I have endured its solitude, its
